The invention relates generally to accessory cases or article carriers adapted to be installed on vehicles, and in particular, relates to a novel accessory case especially suitable for installation on a wheel chair within convenient reach of the occupant and constructed to clear the wheel chair drive ring so that the occupant can propel and steer the wheel chair.
Article carriers or cases for installation on vehicles generally are known. They are mounted on or fastened to the vehicles and carry or contain goods, implements or personal articles. Examples of such are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,054 for an article carrier strapped to a golf bag, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,193 for a bifurcated article carrier resting straddled over an upwardly projecting support.
A further example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,290,099 where a baby walker is provided with a package carrier or carry-all. The package carrier provides two rectangular cloth enclosures open at the top. The frame is formed of front and rear members resting on the top of the baby walker and projecting beyond both sides of the baby walker. The enclosures are suspended between the front and rear members, one on each side of the walker. A baby is carried in the walker between the front and rear members and the two side enclosures.
Article carriers for vehicles used in aiding the transportation or locomotion of disabled or handicapped people also are known. One such carrier is described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 24,817. There, an invalid walker is provided with a trough-like basket extending across the front of the walker for carrying the articles. It appears, however, that the basket must be removed and replaced every time a user enters and leaves the walker, causing an obvious inconvenience. Further, the basket must be stored, if not replaced on the walker after a user leaves the walker.
Article carriers for wheel chairs which are known are such as conventional cloth of plastic bags hung from the wheel chair back rest. The major problem with such bags is that they are almost totally beyond the reach of the wheel chair occupant from the seat of the wheel chair. Considering the disabilities and handicaps of persons relegated to wheel chairs, it can be understood that this inaccessability leads to great frustration of such a person trying to care at least partially for himself. Much could be done to return dignity to such a person if an article carrier could be provided which is within convenient reach of the wheel chair occupant.
Moreover, the interior of such a bag even if the bag is placed within convenient reach, is relatively inaccessible by a person lacking dexterity in their hands and arms. The top edges of such a bag tend to remain closed thereby frustrating efforts of access to the contents of the bag or even to see the contents for selecting particular ones.
Further, to hang such a bag from the arm rest of a wheel chair is likely to interfere with propelling and steering the chair by means of the conventional drive ring cooperating with the chair wheels. Insofar as is known, an accessory case for a wheel chair installed along a side of the chair, such as from the chair's arm rest, is not known to the inventor.